Ronald Philips

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at Reunion 2006.

Ron's father Reg Phillips owned Balmain Transport which in turn had an interest in Mercury Transport delivering President refrigerators,  Hoover washing machines, Standard and Renault cares and other general cargo.

In 1952, in the driving seat of an Albion or AEC Ron didn't look big enough to reach the pedals.  The NSW authorities didn't take kindly to this arrangement and Ron was told he couldn't drive a semi-trailer registered in New South Wales.  To fix that little problem his father sent him to Adelaide when he was 16 to obtain a semi licence and register his truck.

The truck Ron was driving was an Albion and his father wanted him to be able to drive legally.  Ron was short and slight for his age and always looked younger than he was, but he was a natural driver.  Ron was a good operator and over the years he was called upon often to teach many other drivers how to handle semi-trailers. For quite a long time Ron was pulled over the police in different states and, when confronted with the facts, they could only walk away shaking their heads with disbelief. 
Ron plodded up and down for years driving for his dad.  As time went on he bought his own trucks.  One of the earliest was an AEC.  Ron named it Tom Thumb.

As the 1950s closed Ron worked in the office of Cargo Distributors in Burrow Rd, St Peters.  Cargo had taken over a number of companies, including Mercury Transport.  Ron then moved to the office of John L Pierce where he stayed till the early 1970s.

Ron Phillips then obtained the contract to deliver new cisterns and other assorted goods for Caroma Industries.  He was still there into the 21st Century and, now past his seventies, is still going strong.